


Reckoning in Westminster

by neutrondecay



Series: Fic from the Draft Game [3]
Category: DCU (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Activist Erik Lehnsherr, Alternate Universe - British, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, British Politics, Crossover, Demon Summoning, Draft Game, Edinburgh, Elections, Evil Alexander Pierce, Gen, Gods, Greek - Freeform, Helicarrier (Marvel), London, Meta, Nick Fury Knows All, Scotland, Scotland Yard, Sneaky Nick Fury, United Kingdom, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-29 12:41:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8490202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neutrondecay/pseuds/neutrondecay
Summary: What if many celebrated characters who are in reality Marvel or DC creations had instead been invented by a British publisher?Nick Fury calls on Jim Gordon and John Constantine to fight a nationwide takeover.





	1. Introduction: Castle Comics

**Author's Note:**

> This is the introductory meta for 'Reckoning in Westminster'. This story was the first one I wrote for the draft game, so it's a bit uneven, but I still like it, and it's stayed topical. The meta bit was originally mostly published at the end, but I think it works better as a scene-setting introduction.
> 
> The draft that this was written for was 'Hybrid New Multiverse', which means that the characters are drawn from both the Marvel and DC universes, adapted to the new AU described here.

Most people, if you say 'Suspense Comics', won't know what you're talking about. Most people think the series is called Nick Fury, after the lead character. But they've heard of Northampton-based Castle Comics, the publisher of _Suspense Comics, Thrilling Comics_ , and numerous other well-loved series. Originally, Castle was seen as the main rival to Hulton Press' _Eagle_ , and they covered much of the same ground - war stories, spy adventures, and occasional historicals. But where _Eagle_ was created by an Anglican vicar with the intention of promoting Christian values, Castle was founded by two Fabian socialists. The ethos was to be the celebration of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and so the origins of their signature hero, secret agent Nicholas Fury, were kept deliberately vague but definitely humble. The comic was in black-and-white, and so the character's ethnicity was similarly vague. With the switch to colour printing in the 1970s, the then editors decided - faced with the success of the 'blaxploitation' genre - to make him explicitly Black British. Throughout the first decades of Fury's adventures and the other tales in Suspense, super-powers were few, and mostly possessed by the neo-Nazis and Stalinists who made up the series' rogues' gallery.

The same was not true of later stablemate _Thrilling Comics._ Established as a response to the success of American superhero titles, _Thrilling_ featured a wide range of innately superpowered heroes and villains, tied together by the loose idea that most of them were genetic mutants. Initially a background character, the philosophical anti-hero Magneto eventually came to the fore as the series' central figure. A secular Jew (like one of the imprint's founders), Magneto fought a constant shadow war for the freedom of mutants everywhere from their oppressors, but with methods that were intended to be shocking and questionable. One famous early appearance showed him killing an enemy soldier by collapsing the man's helmet and crushing his skull. This scene, and others like it, led to _Thrilling_ being almost unobtainable in the USA for over a decade. 

The two main Castle series had occasional crossovers, starting with 1975's 'Reckoning in Istanbul', which saw Fury and Magneto separately hunting the same fascist conspirators, while also being obstructed by the CIA, Mossad, the KGB and MI6. The most recent 'Reckoning' crossover, 'Reckoning in Westminster', brought controversial changes to the comics' shared setting, which some fans view as excessively political. As ever opinion was divided as to whether the writing was too drastic, or too deferential to British traditions. 

By the time its main imprints went to colour in the 1970s, Castle Comics was the UK's leading publisher of comics for teenage and older audiences. The start of the 'Reckoning' crossovers confirmed that all the imprint's main comics were set in the same shared universe; this opened up the possibility of characters which fell between the quasi-realistic spy stories of _Suspense Comics_ and the costumed superhero antics of _Thrilling Comics_. The first of these was the Liverpudlian magician John Constantine, who had supernatural powers and a morally ambiguous character (like _Thrilling_ 's Magneto) but lived in a world of political intrigue and warm beer (like _Suspense_ 's Nick Fury). Constantine was further distinguished by hints of sexual ambiguity: although Castle's writers were still uncredited, this aspect was probably due to the influence of editor Neil Tennant, who would go on to find fame as a pop star in the Pet Shop Boys. (Castle would eventually follow the lead of 2000AD and begin crediting its writers and artists.) 

Although the decision to make Nick Fury black was initially controversial, attracting an outraged editorial in _The Sun_ , it did nothing to harm the character's popularity, and probably inspired the decision to cast Bernie Casey as Felix Leiter in _Never Say Never Again_. This success inspired the editors to further increase the ethnic diversity of their characters; in 1984, _Thrilling Comics_ included for the first time the adventures of Apache hero Thunderbird. Although somewhat unevenly written and prone to being depicted as a 'magical Native American' figure, Thunderbird was well-received. This was especially striking at a time when the only other Native American main character in British comics was D C Thompson's 'Little Plum, Your Indian Chum'. By the late 1990s, Castle had established a more consistent tone for the character, who became the moral core of _Thrilling_ 's mutant stories, in contrast to Magneto's ruthless pragmatism. Around the same time, the fictional government agency HORTUS was introduced. Nick Fury was assigned to it as a senior officer, and would eventually become its director, leaving more of the hands-on spy action to newer characters like Maria Hill and Kat Armstrong. 


	2. Knaves in the Pack

P1: Four frame page: First frame: A rainswept London street. A pub sign: The Four in Hand.

Second frame: A dark-skinned middle-aged man in a business suit, trilby, and a long coat pushing open a door whose frosted glass reads "LOUNGE BAR".

Third frame: A calloused hand, belonging to a white man, clutching a pint of stout. "Did you bring it?"

Fourth frame: The first man places a white and red runestone on the table next to the stout glass. "Yes. Now, can you help me?"

P2: Full page: "I believe I can." John Constantine, seated on a long bench, kicks a chair out for Nick Fury to take a seat. Fury removes his hat to reveal the band of his eyepatch. In the background, the hustle and bustle of a London pub. On the floor, a newspaper headline: "Britain Votes: Three Days to Go" Title inset: " **Knaves in the Pack** "

* * *

P3: Full page: A view of London under a dappled sky. At the bottom of the page, we are looking straight down into a street crowded with pavement cafes; a black cab makes its way through crowds who are ignoring the traffic laws, past a pub flying the rainbow flag. Behind the pub, further up the page, we can see a demolition crew tearing down a dilapidated Georgian building with a faded sign painted on it saying 'LIVE NUDE GIRLS' - one worker is throwing part of a neon sign off the roof into a skip. In the further distance, Nelson's Column and the London Eye can be seen.

P4: Nine frame page; first frame: A back view of a short, bald white man in a glossy black formal jacket entering a big-name coffee shop. A taller, moustachioed man in a trenchcoat is leaning against the far wall. Every view in this sequence is partly obscured by the business of the cafe - we don't get a good look at them yet.

Second frame: The two men meet in front of the counter. "Superintendent," says the short man.

Third frame: They shake hands - the short man has to reach up a little, and we see he wears white leather gloves. "Lord Chesterfield," the other man responds.

Fourth frame: They queue for coffee. We only see their backs - the shorter man has a cane in his left hand. "Please, call me Ozzy. Everyone around here does. And may I call you Sir James?"

Fifth frame: Hands reaching across the counter. The short man receives an elaborate drink with whipped cream; the taller, a black coffee. "I've not had that honour. 'Jim' is fine, but I'd prefer to stick to 'superintendent' for now. This is a business meeting."

Sixth frame: They take seats at a window table - we see them both in silhouette. Outside, an east Asian and a south Asian man walk past in casual clothes, hand-in-hand. "Just so. Well, times change, you know. I'd like to discuss the future of policing in Soho."

Seventh frame: The moustachioed man sips his coffee. "Something you've had a run-in with in the past. But as you say, times change."

Eighth frame: We get a clear view of the short man for the first time. He's wearing a white shirt and a narrow black tie, all well-pressed. It is Oswald Cobblepot. "Quite so. Yesterday a nightclub owner, today a peer, tomorrow - well, that depends on this election, really. _Vox populi, vox Dei_. But if I do receive some preferment, I might be able to help you up, er, out."

Ninth frame: A full view of the other man - it is James Gordon. "My interest is in keeping this city and its people safe. Election day is a working day for me."

"Just so, Chief Superintendent."

"Ch-"

"A slip of the tongue."

* * *

P5: A page divided into three tall narrow frames. Constantine and Fury walk towards us along a dark alley, their dialogue scattered across the page. Constantine ignites a match in the first frame, lights a cigarette in the middle frame - strongly illuminating both men's faces for a moment - and drops the match in a puddle at their feet in the third frame.

Constantine: "Not that I'm not grateful for the stone, chum, and the gossip from inside HORTUS, but you still haven't said what you're after."

Fury: "I'm looking for a man who doesn't want to be found."

Constantine: "Don't your boys have CCTV for that now?"

Fury: "Not this one. He has ways not to be found when he doesn't want to be."

Constantine: "You've still got the wrong man for the job. Your actual psychic is best for that stuff."

Fury: "I've spent half the Restricted Period tracking down genuine psychics. None of them can find him. That's why I need you."

Constantine: "All right - you've got me. Now what? I'm guessing there's a reason we're not in an interview room in the basement of the Home Office right now."

Fury: "You guess right. I'm here in a strictly unofficial capacity."

Constantine: "Fine - there's something we can try, not far from here. Come with me."

P6: Another nine-frame page: First frame: Soho Square at dusk, viewed from a side street. At the top, right in the foreground, part of the sign for a lesbian bar. Constantine and Fury cross the end of the street in silence.

Second frame: The two men walk up a fire escape on the side of a Georgian building overlooking the square. Part of another sign can be seen below: "PENGU-"

Third frame: A disused, formerly squatted room inside the same building. Constantine, in silhouette, can be seen forcing the door from the fire escape.

Fourth frame: Constantine sits on a sofa, on top of the dustcovers, smoking in apparent disregard of his surroundings. Fury: "So why have we just broken into the upstairs of the Penguin Club?"

Fifth frame: Constantine, in close-up, looking facetious. "Is that what it is? I hadn't noticed."

Sixth frame: Reverse of the same view; both men outlined black against the sodium-orange clouds outside the window. Constantine continues: "Two hundred and fifty years ago, this room was the exclusive bachelor pad of one Giacomo Casanova."

Seventh frame: Close-up of Fury's face, looking faintly disgusted. "The Casanova? The sex maniac?"

Eighth frame: Both men in profile, standing. Constantine replies, gesturing with his cigarette: "Sex maniac? If you like. More to the point: a necromancer."

Ninth frame: A top-down close-up of Constantine's hand and cigarette, still moving. A glowing arc appears on the floorboards below, matching the gesture.

P7: Full page: A top-down view of both men, their overcoats rippling in an impossible wind, as a magic circle lights up around them on the floor.

P8: A nine-frame page: First frame: Constantine reaches into his coat pocket. "So, Mister Fury - who are we looking for?"

Second frame: Constantine bent over, making adjustments to the magic circle with a piece of blackboard chalk.

Third frame: Fury watches Constinatine's work. "I don't know his real name. When I last met him, he called himself Magnus."

Fourth frame: Constantine lighting candles.

Fifth frame: Constantine's face, strongly illuminated from the left by a candle. "Aha. And does he have any distinguishing features?"

Sixth frame: Constantine closing the curtains.

Seventh frame: Fury, looking grave in the candlelight. "You could say that. A very small tattoo, on his arm."

Eighth frame: Constantine looks up from adjusting a candle on the edge of the circle.

Ninth frame: Fury again, his eye-patch in the centre of the frame - we see that it has a small HMG portcullis embossed on it. "I believe his real name is Erik Lensherr."

P9: Four frame page: First frame: Constantine's face, lit by candlelight, as he intones: "Εδιδαξεν τους ανθρωπους Αζαηλ μαχαιρας ποιειν και οπλα και ασπιδας και θωρακας διδαγματα αγγελων"

Second frame: Fury, silhouetted against the window, as Constantine continues: "και υπειδξεν αυτοις τα μεταλλα και την εργασιαν αυτων, και ψελια και κοσμους και στιβεις και το καλλιβλεψαρον και παντοιους λιθους εκλεκτους και βαφικα."

Third frame: A pillar of fire and smoke forms in the centre of the magic circle. Constantine: "Αζαηλ. Αζαηλ. Αζαηλ."

Fourth frame: A darkly-handsome orange-skinned man with grey hair, a black goatee, and bat-like wings emerges from the smoke. Constantine: "Azael. Aza'el. Azazel."

P10: Nine-frame page: First frame: Azazel reaches out for Constantine, but a golden haze hangs in the air between them.

Second frame: Azazel, face-on, illuminated as though from within: "What do you offer me, mortal?"

Third frame: Constantine, holding out an ancient knife which glints in the light: "With this dagger, O Azazel, master of smiths, Robert Bruce slew John Comyn before the high altar of Greyfriars. All I ask for it is knowledge."

Fourth frame: Fury, looking at Constantine: "Where did you...?" Constantine just holds up a hand in response.

Fifth frame: Azazel, eyes wide with greed: "Knowledge? What would you know?"

Sixth frame: Constantine, holding the dagger back out of reach: "There is a man... an old man, a master of secrets. His name is Erik Lensherr. Where is he?"

Seventh frame: Azazel turns into a pillar of fire and smoke again.

Eighth frame: Fury glares at Constantine through the dissipating smoke in the now-empty magic circle. Fury: "Seriously? How do we...?"

Ninth frame: Azazel, reappearing with a flash of fire: "He will meet the one who seeks him at the ancient Guildhall at noon tomorrow. Go alone."

P11: Three horizontal frames: Top: Azazel holds out a hand towards the glittering barrier.

Middle: Constantine places the hilt of the dagger in Azazel's hand.

Bottom: Azazel and the dagger both dissolve into smoke.

P12: Four-frame page: First frame: Inset top left: A smoke alarm with a flashing LED on it. Main frame: Uniformed security guards racing up a wooden staircase in near-darkness. We see them from the side, through the banisters - heavy Dr Marten boots tramping on the bare treads.

Second frame: The door of the conjuring room flung open. In the foreground, Fury and Constantine turning in surprise. Beyond them, the guards entering through the door, visible only in outline. Behind them, silhouetted against a side window, is a truly huge, muscular guard. Large guard: "Halt, trespassers!"

Third frame: Fury and Constantine defending themselves in the doorway to the fire escape. Fury uses mixed martial arts, kicking a guard in the chest. Constantine fights dirty - he strikes a guard in the face with a lighted candle snatched from the magic circle.

Fourth frame: The regular guards make way for their hulking commander, whose face is still unseen.

P13: Nine-frame page: First frame: Constantine is punched in the face.

Second frame: Fury shoves a guard back into the path of the commander.

Third frame: Constantine throws the smouldering candle.

Fourth frame: The dustsheet on the sofa bursts into flame, illuminating the commander: a shaven-headed man with glittering eyes and tattoos visible around his collar.

Fifth frame: Fury draws a taser.

Sixth frame: The commander is struck in the chest with the taser as the flames lap around his feet.

Seventh frame: The commander tears the taser darts from his chest, laughing and advancing past the fire.

Eighth frame: The side of the building, showing the fire escape. Fury and Constantine race down the steps as the fire outlines the guards emerging at the top.

Ninth frame: Fury and Constantine run in opposite directions at the base of the ladder.

* * *

P14: Nine frame page: First frame: An elliptical sign, with the arms of the City of London and the text "THE WARD OF CHEAP".

Second frame: Guildhall Yard, busy with people.

Third frame: Fury, wearing a grey lounge suit, meets an elderly man in a black overcoat and hat. We see them both in profile; the other man is obviously Magneto. He says: "Mr Fury - your ways of finding people are unorthodox."

Fourth frame: They walk together past a sky-blue sign which announces that they are passing the church of St Lawrence Jewry. Fury: "You're a hard man to find." Magneto: "Which is how I have lived so long."

Fifth frame: A road sign: "Old Jewry", plus the City of London arms again. Fury's voice from below: "Your people are in danger." Magneto: "Mutants? Or Jews? Either way, we always are."

Sixth frame: Both men walking along a narrow street towards us. Magneto: "Your people are in danger too." Fury: "HORTUS? Or d'you mean...?"

Seventh frame: Reverse of the same view. Magneto: "Both. People like Cobblepot and Nygma may be gangsters, opportunists, but Pierce... he reminds me of Goebbels. He will smile right until he stabs us."

Eighth frame, double width: A street intersection. The Bank of England is at the left, the Royal Exchange ahead, the Mansion House to the right. London Underground signs on every street corner. The two men are in the middle somewhere. Fury: "I think there is a haven for us, if the worst happens. But I need your help."

P15: Three vertical frames: Left: The Gherkin. Magneto's voice from below: "My help? Or just my compliance?"

Centre: The two men walking along another street, from behind. We see only Fury's right side and Magneto's left. Fury: "We need each other's help."

Right: A street sign, over an arch: "Bevis Marks". Magneto's voice from below. "Give me your help, and I shall do what I can. But my people will protect themselves."

* * *

P16: Four-frame page: First frame: Exterior, evening. Constantine unlocks the front door of a Victorian terraced house.

Second frame: He opens the door of an upstairs flat.

Third frame: Constantine stands in the middle of a disorganised sitting room, lighting a cigarette. An ashtray full of stubs sits on a coffee table next to a half-crushed beer can and a TV remote.

Fourth frame: Side view as he slumps on a blanket-covered sofa and points the remote at the TV. We see that there are mystical symbols - perhaps in permanent marker - over the window.

P17: Four-frame page: First frame: View over Constantine's shoulder as he looks at the TV news - it looks like the BBC. On-screen caption: 'Polls: 4-way split' Constantine: "Ah, _fuck_."

Second frame: A large windowless open-plan office. The same news programme can be seen on screens mounted on walls and pillars above the desks. Fury strides through the middle, overcoat flapping, speaking into a mobile phone.

Third frame: Another office. Outside the window, Westminster Abbey can be seen in the twilight. In the foreground, Jim Gordon is on the phone: "Uh-huh, but we can't prove it. And we can't be seen to intervene openly in an election campaign. The restricted period applies to us too, you know."

Fourth frame: An anonymous-looking warehouse interior. In the foreground, an unmarked white removal lorry is parked, its rear door open towards us, revealing a pile of black ballot boxes.

P18: Nine-page frame: First frame: A clean-shaven white man's lower face, side on, speaking into a phone. "If you've got any bright ideas about what that bastard Fury is planning, now would be a good time to say."

Second frame: The same view. Voice on the phone: "There's one thing, sir, but I don't think he's got the resources."

Third frame: The first man speaks again: "It's Fury. Never rely on something like that. See to it."

Fourth frame: Constantine's sitting room again - top down view. John is sitting on the sofa drinking black coffee. Rosy morning light spills in through the window. There's an open DL envelope on the table.

Fifth frame: Close-up of the coffee table. There are airline-style tickets poking out of the envelope.

Sixth frame: Close-up of the envelope. There's a post-it note on the tickets, obscuring the destination. They're clearly _rail_ tickets, though - the National Rail badge can be seen. The post-it note reads "Bon voyage - F"

Seventh frame: Close-up of a blue plastic in-tray. A similar envelope, closed, lies on top, with a screwdriver beside it.

Eighth frame: A busy street. Constantine, smoking again, is stopped by a smartly dressed white woman in a navy skirt suit. She's wearing a white rosette with blue and red tails.

Ninth frame: Close-up of the rosette: it bears the words 'Technology Party' in gold.

P19: Four-frame page: First frame: Constantine, face-on, raises his left hand to chest height, palm out. There's a sigil drawn on it in black marker.

Second frame: Reverse of the same view, from over his shoulder. A tube station sign can be seen in the middle distance The woman flinches sharply away from Constantine's unmoving left hand.

Third frame: He steps right past her as she turns to stop a different passer-by, smiling brightly again.

Fourth frame: Constantine's cigarette butt falls to the floor behind his heel in front of a newspaper placard that reads 'Poll: Tories faltering'.

P20: Four-frame page: First frame: Constantine boards a tube train. We see him from behind, stepping in. Inside, a teenage girl with slightly blue skin has her arm in a cast.

Second frame: A tube train disappears into its tunnel. In the road above, a queue of grey outside broadcast vans waits at a traffic light.

Third frame: Over the London skyline, three helicopters pass at different heights: a police chopper, a news chopper, and an army Chinook.

Fourth frame: Overhead view of a street. Anonymous white lorries turn out from the front of an unlabelled warehouse.

* * *

P21: Four-frame page: First frame: An airport apron, in the blazing sun. Planes with tailfins from several US airlines can be seen.

Second frame: Rear view of a black man in a smart suit. He has grey hair, and is looking up at a departure board for a flight to Edinburgh.

Third frame: View over the same man's shoulder as he sits in an airline seat, reading the news on his phone. Headline: 'Birmingham: Mutant Society office firebombed'.

Fourth frame: In-flight TV showing news. The image shows Edinburgh Castle. Newsreader voiceover: "The First Minister has condemned anti-mutant rhetoric in the tabloids..."

* * *

P22:Four-frame page, first and fourth frames wider than the others: First frame: A leafy London square, surrounded by a mix of buildings from the 1780s and the 1960s.

Second frame: A signing-in sheet. A large white hand with tattoos visible at the wrist signs a signature that's illegible apart from the initials: E_____ D______.

Third frame: A set of lift doors opening. The LED panel above shows a down arrow.

Fourth frame: Rear view of several people in the lift. The three other passengers are all shrinking back somewhat from the tall, broad-shouldered and shaven-headed man in the centre; he wears a slightly-too-small jacket which looks weirdly lumpy.

P23: Nine-frame page: First frame: Edward Nygma and Oswald Cobblepot, in a chemistry laboratory. Both wear lab coats; Nygma is very at home in his, while Cobblepot's is too large and doesn't suit him. In the foreground, on a lab bench, the corner of a _Times_ cryptic crossword, filled in in blue ink.

Second frame: Nygma fills a 100cc syringe with a pale green liquid. Cobblepot, watching behind him: "What is that stuff?"

Third frame: Nygma places the syringe in a steel rack with five others like it. "A blend of intravenous stimulants and anabolic steroids. I call it 'Blend northward move into health hazard (5)'." Cobblepot: "I hate it when you talk like that."

Fourth frame: Nygma, sending a text message on a state-of-the-art smartphone. "Too bad, _Twisted Spire_. Even if Pierce's plan works, it's going to be a tough week."

Fifth frame: Cobblepot, enraged: "Never call me twisted, you smug shit."

Sixth frame: Nygma, still looking smug: "Whatever you say, your lordship."

Seventh frame: Cobblepot, opening the lab door: "Sir Edmund's still on my payroll, you know."

Eighth frame: Nygma: "So what? We're all on Pierce's books now."

Ninth frame: Cobblepot, to an unseen person outside the lab: "Please come in."

P24: Full page: The huge guard from earlier, now wearing black jeans and a white t-shirt with a small St George cross on it; we can see his arms are covered with tattoos, mainly of snakes, but also a triskelion, the number 616, and a dagger. He fills the doorway. In the foreground, Nygma holds out one of the green syringes to him. Nygma: "Your new treatment, Sir Edmund." Inset: " **Next: Election Night Special** ".


	3. Election Night Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The votes are in, but who will lead the UK's new government? And where is Magneto going?

P1: Nine frame page. First frame: The exterior of New Scotland Yard, at night, looking up past the rotating sign.

Second frame: A dismantled desktop PC, which clearly contains no hard drives, lies open on a desk. At the edge of the desk, someone signs a letter.

Third frame: A different, tidier desk. The same hand places an envelope on it, whose address is a single line, illegible to us.

Fourth frame: Jim Gordon looking sombre as he is allowed out of the building by a uniformed Metropolitan Police firearms officer. In this and the next few scenes, he carries a small black holdall - security don't look at it; they're distracted by a BBC news broadcast on the TV.

Fifth frame: Victoria Street, outside Westminster Cathedral. Gordon hails a black cab.

Sixth frame: Gordon emerges from the cab in the subterranean taxi rank at Euston station - there's a sign in the foreground naming the station and pointing to 'Suburban platforms'.

Seventh frame: Gordon boards a dark blue intercity train.

Eighth frame: He puts the holdall in a sleeper compartment.

Ninth frame: We see over Gordon's shoulder as he looks into the dining car. It's almost deserted, but behind a glass of scotch John Constantine lowers a newspaper and greets him: "A'right Jim - long time no see."

P2: Full page: The Elizabeth Tower (otherwise known as 'Big Ben'), against a background of orange clouds. The view is from below and at a slight angle. The clock shows two minutes to midnight. Inset title: "Election Night Special"

P3: Nine frame page: First frame: A recognisable caricature of David Dimbleby, in the BBC Election Night studio. "I think we're about to get our first result from a party leader's constituency. Let's see if that remarkable exit poll is reflected on the ground."

Second frame: The gymnasium of a local authority leisure centre. Trestle tables covered in papers and empty ballot boxes fill the room. A group of people can be seen assembling on a stage at one end.

Third frame: A smartly-dressed mixed-race woman holding a microphone speaks to camera. "Yes, we're here in Littleham, which the Technology Party is expected to hold. But if the exit polls are accurate, they might increase their majority substantially. And if that majority is significantly down, that might indicate the polls are wrong too."

Fourth frame: A stout white man holding a clipboard speaks into a microphone. We can tell from the curtain behind him that he's on the stage seen in Frame 2. "- Acting Returning Officer for the Littleham constituency, hereby give notice that the total number of votes given for each candidate -"

Fifth frame: A line-up of disappointed-looking midde-aged men and women wearing red, blue, green and yellow rosettes. Voiceovers: "- (Labour Party) -" "- One thousand, seven hundred and three votes -"

Sixth frame: The lapel of a man's lounge suit, with a rosette pinned to it. The rosette is white with a red and blue trim. Voiceover: "- (Technology Party) -"

Seventh frame: The returning officer again. "- Forty-five thousand, six hundred and eighty-four votes."

Eighth frame: The OB reporter turning sharply away from camera to look at the stage.

Ninth frame: VO continues: "And that Alexander Goodwin Pierce has been duly elected as Member of Parliament for Littleham." Image: the man himself, smiling. 

P4: A page with one long frame across the top, and six below:

Top frame: Buckingham Palace, exterior, night. The Royal Standard can just be seen flying at the top of the flagpole on the roof.

Second frame: An oblique view of a section of the palace roof. A black-clad figure creeps along in the shadow of a parapet.

Third frame: Back in Littleham, Pierce boards a large corporate-looking helicopter in the glare of the TV crews' lights.

Fourth frame: The Palace again. The interior of a well-appointed bedroom; the sash window is being prised up from the outside by the same black-clad figure.

Fifth frame: Pierce on board the helicopter. We look down over his shoulder at a laptop screen on which a map of the UK is displayed: Northern Ireland is a patchwork, Scotland is mostly brilliant yellow; but part of Wales and much of England is now coloured white. A few spots of red, orange and blue remain.

Sixth frame: Looking up at the darkened ceiling of the palace bedroom. The black-clad figure, who is masked, approaches with a large gauze pad.

Seventh frame: The front steps of an office building. Cobblepot and Edward Nygma stand among other suited men and women as Pierce, again pursued by OB lighting, runs up the steps to join them.

P5: The next page is irregularly divided by jagged frame lines; figures spill out of their frames, and hurled objects are ambiguous as to which moment they belong to.

The action: A hand shoots out from the bedclothes and grabs the masked figure's wrist. A fight erupts; springing from the bed is Maria Hill, who throws a grey, curly wig away as she engages the intruder. She wears a stereotypical spy catsuit paired with sensible flat shoes. She's given a few glancing blows, but she is clearly the better fighter, and knocks out her opponent. In the bottom-right of the scene, she pulls out his mobile phone and begins to use it.

P6: Another nine-frame page: First frame: High-angle view - Constantine and Gordon ruefully drinking Scotch together in the dining car. The newspaper headline on the table between them reads "Poll: 4 out of 5 Brits distrust mutants".

Second frame: Pierce checking his mobile phone while surrounded by party activists who are watching an election night TV show.

Third frame: Hill jumps into a smaller helicopter in the Palace inner courtyard.

Fourth frame: Cobblepot opens a cardboard box, which contains lots of bright blue fabric.

Fifth frame: Inside the helicopter, we see Hill and Fury. Two other passengers are hidden in the shadows.

Sixth frame: Constantine passed out in his dining car chair (fortunately, it reclines).

Seventh frame: Exterior view of the sleeper train passing Carlisle station. Overhead, the small helicopter can just be seen, black against a midnight blue sky.

Eighth frame: Cobblepot gives a folded blue costume to a man who is recognisably one of the 'security guards' who fought Fury earlier. More costumes are piled on the table beside him.

Ninth frame: Gordon looking out of the sleeper compartment window in the dawn light at a station sign reading "Motherwell / Tobar na Màthar".

P7: Full page, divided by a slanted horizontal line: A voiceover - presumably Dimbleby again - "An historic victory for the Technology party, the first new party to form a majority government since 1945. Leader Alexander Pierce will shortly go to the Palace to kiss hands, but I believe he's going to make a speech first..."

Scene: The office steps again. Top frame: Pierce, all smiles, addresses a forest of microphones. We only get a snippet of his speech...

"...and we're going to abolish the wasteful Home Office Round Table on the Use of Superpowers. As Minister of State for Metahuman Affairs, Lord Chesterfield will be leading an enquiry into how to better address the public's justified concerns about mutations. And the former HORTUS policing budget will now support a new force which will give normal British people the security they deserve. I give you..."

Bottom frame: Pierce's speech balloon continues, below which a dozen muscular figures emerge from the doors of the office building. They wear blue costumes and masks; the costumes are marked with a design derived from the Union Flag. Pierce: "...the UNION JACKS!"

P8: Nine-frame page. First frame: Cobblepot back inside Party HQ, pulling a last blue Union Jack suit out of its box.

Second frame: The big guard, 'Sir Edmund', begins to pull off his t-shirt.

Third frame: He pulls on the Union Jack suit.

Fourth frame: Nygma, wearing a green lounge suit and a tie with a question-mark tiepin, straps a harness to Sir Edmund's back, which holds a rack of cylinders of the green fluid seen earlier.

Fifth frame: Cobblepot, looking thoughtfully at Sir Edmund, who is pulling on his mask. "Strange that a baronet should become the leader of such a group."

Sixth frame: Sir Edmund, masked face centred: "Baronets were funders of James I's wars, Lord Chesterfield; but we are also knights..."

Seventh frame: Seen in profile, he continues: "...so let Pierce keep his Hellfire Club; today I march to war."

Eighth frame: Closeup of Sir Edmund's hands as he buckles on studded openwork gauntlets over the suit's own gloves. "'The baronet' was my father; I shall be my enemies' downfall..."

Ninth frame: Nygma's face, wide-eyed and manic: "As aconite to lupines!"

P9: Full page: Sir Edmund, seen from below, in his full battle outfit: "Indeed, Dr Nygma. I shall be their... BANE!"

P10: Three frames across the top of the page, followed by a large frame below: First frame: Jim Gordon, holding his holdall again, shaking John Constantine’s shoulder. Gordon: "John - wake up, we're there."

Second frame: A tall, blonde woman in a business suit walking along a near-deserted street, with the distinctive architecture of central Glasgow on each side.

Third frame: Gordon and Constantine walking along the station platform.

Large frame: Panorama of the inside of Glasgow Central station, looking south towards the platforms. We see the blonde woman from behind, waving to Gordon and Constantine as they approach.

P11: Nine frame page layout, but: First two frames merged. The blonde woman greets Gordon and Constantine. "Good morning, gentlemen. I'm Kat Armstrong, from HORTUS. We're expecting you."

Second frame: The helicopter containing Maria Hill and Nick Fury touches down on a helipad at a military site surrounded by high, grassy hills.

Third frame: Armstrong helps Constantine and Gordon into a black Land Rover. Gordon clutches his holdall protectively.

Fourth frame: Low-angle shot of a black armoured limousine driving along a motorway. A miniature Royal Standard of Scotland flies from the front of the bonnet.

Fifth frame: Aerial shot of a white SUV driving up the Mall, Central London.

Sixth frame: Hill and Fury reach up to help the other two helicopter passengers down; we don't yet see who they are.

Seventh frame: The Land Rover and the limousine arriving simultaneously at a well-defended gate in a high fence topped with barbed wire.

Eighth frame: A dark-haired woman gets out of the back of the limousine, onto the apron of the same military airfield we saw before. It is Dr Moira Kinross (otherwise MacTaggart), and she's wearing a business suit - but she carries a large red velvet bag, roughly circular in shape. Uniformed armed police officers are sitting in the car behind her.

P12: Three horizontal frames: Top: The white SUV parked outside Buckingham Palace.

Middle: The Union Jacks march into a smart-looking open plan office - a glass screen with the royal arms etched in it can be seen. One of them is smashing a computer; several others have handguns out, threatening the office workers.

Bottom: The helipad, seen from roughly the location of the helicopter. In the distance, Armstrong blocks Gordon and Constantine from approaching. In the centre, Dr Kinross genuflects on the tarmac, offering up the velvet bag. At the bottom of the frame, the backs of four heads: two obviously Fury and Hill, and in the centre, Magneto's helmet, and a short person with grey curly hair, wearing a headscarf.

P13: Four frame page: First frame: split with a jagged horizontal line. Top: The black-clad intruder is found unconscious in the bed where Maria Hill was hiding before. Bottom: Alexander Pierce, in a corridor at Buckingham Palace. Pierce: "Proceed with the plan; convene the Regency Council."

Second frame: Dr Kinross' face, close up. Kinross: "...and so I yield the Great Seal, if I have not fulfilled my oath."

Third frame: A white-gloved hand gives Kinross the velvet bag back. Voice from out of shot: "Rise, First Minister. You are doing your duty; more than can be said for some."

Fourth frame: Another newsreader - Krishnan Guru-Murthy this time - reading from a sheet of paper: "...and so Mr Pierce will take office as Prime Minister without the usual ceremony; his first business will be to participate in the Regency Council..." Channel 4 news ticker below: "...SUDDENLY INDISPOSED, ACCORDING TO PALACE SPOKESMAN..."

P14: Nine-frame page: Armstrong, Constantine and Gordon standing together on the tarmac, seen from above. Constantine: "Not that this isn't a fascinating moment in constitutional history or something, Ms Armstrong, but what the fuck are we doing here?"

Second frame: Armstrong's face, close up. "We're here to meet Director Fury. We have another appointment to keep this morning, which _apparently_ concerns you."

Third frame: Dr Kinross, back in her limousine with the armed cops, reaching out to help another person in.

Fourth frame: Magneto, face on for the first time this issue: "I'm not coming with you, Fury. I have business of my own - which will help you more than my presence here."

Fifth frame: Fury and Hill looking up into the air as Magneto flies off under his own power.

Sixth frame: Dr Kinross' limousine leaving the compound gate, where four police motorcycle outriders are waiting to join it.

Seventh frame: Jim Gordon shaking hands with Nick Fury, while Hill, Constantine and Armstrong look on. Gordon: "Thanks for the invitation, Mr Fury. I trust you'll explain what we're doing soon?" Fury: "You'll see very soon, superintendent."

Eighth frame: Armstrong behind the wheel of the Land Rover again, with Fury riding shotgun. The other three ride in the back.

Ninth frame: A pulled-back view of the Land Rover driving along a cliffside road over a surging sea, with mountains behind.

P15: Full page: A small secluded sea loch, with an impossibly huge set of steel doors set into the mountainside at the far end. In the foreground, the Land Rover passes a security checkpoint.

P16: Another page with a three-frame strip across the top, followed by a large frame:

First frame: The Land Rover stops in a small car park outside a blast door set into the mountainside. Fury leaps down as it comes to a halt.

Second frame: The door opens to admit all five who were in the Land Rover. We see only a corridor beyond.

Third frame: They are met by Jasper Sitwell, wearing a tactical vest over a dirty boiler suit. Sitwell "Good morning, Director Fury, Agent Hill, Agent Armstrong. We're expecting you. Are these two...?" Fury: "They're with me, Sitwell. This is Superintendent Gordon, and this is Mr Constantine."

Large frame: A vast underground hangar, in which a Helicarrier floats in a channel just wide enough for its hull - the carrier deck and rotor engines overhang the walkway on which the six characters are standing. On the edge of the carrier deck nearest to the viewer, the text HMS Princess Royal can be read. In the shadows beyond is another huge object - a second Helicarrier?

P17: Nine frame page: First frame: Constantine, jaw dropped: "Fucking hell."

Second frame: Fury, looking pleased, standing at the foot of an access ladder: "This was built as a submarine pen, modelled on the old Soviet ones at Severomorsk. HORTUS had it enlarged."

Third frame: Gordon, climbing the ladder: "HORTUS? How does a Home Office talking shop get all this gubbins assigned to it?"

Fourth frame: Armstrong, also climbing the ladder: "HORTUS incorporates Project Mosquito, the Cold War anti-mutant civil defence system."

Fifth frame: Sitwell, also climbing the ladder: "Only we stopped training would-be anti-Soviet insurgents, and invested instead."

Sixth frame: Constantine, seen from above standing on the wing of the Helicarrier, looking down into one of the engines. "This thing flies?"

Seventh frame: Fury, leading them onward. "Absolutely. Successful flight trials last autumn. And the UFO sites didn't even notice."

Eighth frame: Gordon, as the group assembles on a lift pad sized for fighter jets: "So why are we here?"

Ninth frame: Fury, as the lift descends, seen in profile with the deck level with his eyes: "National security."

P18: Three horizontal frames:

Top: The sea doors of the Helicarrier pen opening, seen close up from sea level.

Middle: The lead Helicarrier halfway out, seen as though from the hillside road.

Bottom: The Helicarrier in flight, with the loch and the pen far below it as it clears the shoulder of a mountain.

P19: Nine-frame page layout: First frame: Armstrong, looking shocked: "We're flying already?"

Second frame: Fury, opening a bulkhead door: "Yes. This is an emergency. We are now this ship's skeleton crew."

Third frame: Behind Fury's back, Sitwell gives Armstrong a helpless look.

Fourth frame: The six walking along a corridor, seen from behind. Ahead, bright lights.

Fifth frame: They enter a large room with many computers and large displays. We see this from overhead - one of the screens carries a news broadcast, but we don't see what it is yet.

Sixth frame: A black man with grey hair, wearing a waistcoat over a collarless shirt, is working at one of the computers. We only see the back of his head to start with. He speaks: "Morning, Mr Fury. A pleasure to be flying with you..."

Seventh frame: Close-up of some flight instruments. "...and to give my autopilot a thorough workout..."

Eighth frame, spanning the final two columns: The man turns to face Fury, and we see that it's Lucius Fox: "...but can you tell me what in God's name is going on?" Behind him, the ticker on the news screen reads "STATE OF EMERGENCY".

P20: Four frame page: First frame: Fury, with Gordon, Hill and Constantine right behind him: "This isn't an election - it's a coup. We don't know how he rigged it yet, but Pierce planned in advance for a regency. He's going to try to wipe out mutants."

Second frame: Fox, gesturing up at the news screen: "Look!" On screen, Moira Kinross, holding up a piece of paper with a huge wax seal: "...and we do not recognise the Westminster government as legitimate. As of now, Scotland is effectively an independent nation, safe for mutants..."

Third frame: Sitwell and Armstrong step out through the door while the others are fixed on the TV. Armstrong is holding Gordon's holdall.

Fourth frame: The door slammed shut, as Fury and Gordon both run towards it.

P21: Nine-frame page: First frame: Gordon struggles with the door. Fox: "I think they've deadlocked it."

Second frame: Constantine, to Gordon: "They took your bag."

Third frame: Gordon produces a hard drive from the inside pocket of his coat. "They took my laundry."

Fourth frame: Fox brings up a schematic of the ship on a screen. "We can get out this way..." Hill leans in to look closely.

Fifth frame: Divided diagonally: Top left: The autopilot light is on. Bottom right: The autopilot light is off.

Sixth frame: Fox, looking serious. "...but not before they take manual control."

Seventh frame: Exterior view of the Helicarrier, turning right in the air over the Southern Uplands.

Eighth frame: Fury, placing a hand on Fox's shoulder: "Time to call your boss."

Ninth frame: Fox, smiling gleefully: "Already done."

P22: Four-frame page: First frame: The Helicarrier's command bridge. Sitwell and Armstrong are working the controls.

Second frame: A sky scattered with clouds. At the bottom, the Helicarrier. At the top, a glowing spot in the far distance.

Third frame: The same view, but the spot is larger, and a deck-mounted cannon on the Helicarrier is shooting at it.

Fourth frame: A familiar-looking suit of metal armour, flying through the sky with bullets pinging off it.

P23: Four-frame page: First frame: Sitwell and Armstrong on the bridge, working the battle computer. The scene is viewed at a slight angle. Armstrong: "What the hell is that?" Sitwell: "The architect."

Second frame: Fury standing at the top of an access ladder, next to an open arms locker. He hands pistols to Fox and Gordon, while Constantine emerges from the ladder shaft.

Third frame: Armstrong running to the door of the bridge, drawing a huge pistol, almost like a flare gun, with glowing bands down the sides of the barrel.

Fourth frame: Fury and the others looking out at the aircraft lift. In the foreground, seen from behind, the flying armour lands gracefully on it.

P24: Full page: The armour, seen face-on at an angle. It has a few scratches on it, but it's clear the ships' guns have hardly touched it. The faceplate flips up revealing a strong-featured woman with red hair. It is Pepper Potts. "All right. Rescue is here." Inset: "Next issue: **Whatever happened to the United Kingdom?** "


	4. Whatever Happened to the United Kingdom?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Technology Party moves to consolidate its victory in England and Wales, but north of the border mutants and their allies are digging in for a long struggle. A 50% longer issue of Suspense Comics.

P1: Three horizontal frames:

Top: The front of No 10 Downing Street, with No 11 just visible at the far left; Union Jack costumed fighters flank Alexander Pierce as he makes a speech from a small podium outside: "...here to bring order in these troubled times, both in government and on the Regency Council..."

Middle: The Palace of Holyroodhouse, with Moira Kinross' armoured limousine parked outside, and the Royal Standard for Scotland flying from a flagpole. Newscaster voiceover: "...royal warrant appears genuine. Dr Kinross has made it clear that no deal with Westminster is possible while mutants are threatened..."

Bottom: The skies over the Southern Uplands. The Helicarrier HMS Princess Royal, listing slightly, shoots towards us, its prow overspilling the frame.

P2: Full page: Magneto, in full costume with flowing robes, strides towards a reinforced metal gate labelled "HM Dockyard Rosyth", which buckles as he gestures at it. The police and soldiers guarding it are looking upwards as their guns are wrenched upwards. Inset title: " **Whatever happened to the United Kingdom**?"

P3: Four frame page: first frame: Reverse of the previous shot. The gates burst apart as Thunderbird, also in costume, runs through them at great speed. Behind him are Magneto, Black Canary (in her classic outfit, but with army boots and a sturdy leather jacket more like her more recent look over the top), and several other less clearly-seen mutants. Some soldiers are fleeing, others are dragged to the ground by their weapons.

Second frame: Panicked Royal Navy security officer talking into a walkie-talkie: "He just tore the gates down!" Reply: "Use the weapons in locker nine."

Third frame: The same man, opening a weapons locker labelled "9" and removing a glossy black grenade launcher. Behind him, other guards flee before the mutant advance.

Fourth frame: He levels the grenade launcher at Magneto.

P4: Full page: Black Canary, entering from the top left of the frame, shrieks. In the centre, a projectile explodes in midair, showering plastic shrapnel onto the tarmac. At the bottom right, the launcher shatters, and we can just see the guard recoiling with a nosebleed. At the top right, Thunderbird dashes past.

P5: Nine frame page: First frame: Thunderbird disarms a guard.

Second frame: Magneto deflects a hail of bullets.

Third frame: Black Canary overruns a communications post, destroying telephones and walkie-talkies, and sending their operators ducking for cover.

Fourth frame: Magneto gestures at a huge crane, making it bend towards the water of an enclosed dock.

Fifth frame: Thunderbird leaps up and punches a guard taking aim from a watchtower.

Sixth frame: Magento walks along the crane, which is now horizontal.

Seventh frame: Black Canary runs up to join him.

Eighth frame: So does Thunderbird, with more mutants behind.

Ninth frame: Magneto, face on: "Here we are. All aboard."

* * *

P6: Four frame page: First frame: A harassed-looking RN admiral, running down an institutional corridor, with a mobile phone jammed to his ear.

Second frame: Dr Kinross in her office, shooing out reporters. On the wall behind her, newspaper cuttings and photographs depicting her career transition from genetics to politics. The admiral can be seen beyond the reporters.

Third frame: The admiral whispers in Kinross' ear.

Fourth frame: Kinross, face-on: "What can we do? Let him go."

* * *

P7: Four frame page: First frame: Establishing shot of the Helicarrier HMS Princess Royal, now listing more severely.

Second frame: Pepper Potts, in her Rescue armour, tearing open a bulkhead door.

Third frame: Jasper Sitwell, struggling with the Helicarrier's manual controls.

Fourth frame: Kat Armstrong, firing her absurdly huge pistol; a ball of lightning emerges from it, illuminating the corridor down which it races towards Rescue.

P8: Full page: Potts deflects the ball lightning with her outstretched hand, but her arm is suddenly wreathed in blue sparks. Armstrong leaps clean over her, clearing her helmet by an inch or so.

P9: Four frame page: First frame: The ball lightning bounces back into the bridge; Sitwell ducks it, and it strikes a computer screen.

Second frame: Armstrong and Fury, seen side on, pistols pointed at each other. (Armstrong now has a regular pistol.)

Third frame: Armstrong's POV as she takes aim at Lucius Fox, visible behind and to the right of Fury, instead.

Fourth frame: Fury turns in horror as Maria Hill dives in to take the bullet for Fox.

P10: Four frame page: First frame: Armstrong rushes towards a descending staircase.

Second frame: Constantine emerges from a side passage and trips her viciously, sending her sprawling down the stairs.

Third frame: Sitwell climbing up into a crawlspace - the bridge is just visible behind and below him.

Fourth frame: Armstrong pulling a huge red knife switch.

P11: Full page: Constantine, in a bomb bay, teeters on the edge of a trapdoor which has suddenly opened at his feet; below him, we see Armstrong skydiving towards grassy hills.

P12: Four frame page: First frame: Sitwell in a crawlspace, kicking open a hatch below him.

Second frame: Sitwell climbing into a BAe Harrier II jump jet.

Third frame: Rescue running down a corridor, with several other people behind her.

Fourth frame: She enters the carrier's hangar and begins flying.

P13: Full page: Top down view: Rescue pushes back on the nose cone as Sitwell fires the jet's engines, damaging another jet behind it. Jim Gordon climbs up the side of the plane.

P14: Four frame page: First frame: From behind, we see Gordon pull an emergency release handle with his left hand, while levelling his pistol with the right. Sitwell is just visible in the cockpit.

Second frame: Closeup: Sitwell reaches for the missile controls.

Third frame: Gordon hits Sitwell on the back of the head with the butt of his pistol.

Fourth frame: Gordon roughly pulls the semi-conscious Sitwell up, partly to read his nametag. "Jasper Sitwell, you're under arrest for treason. You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence."

P15: Nine frame page: First frame: Fury and Fox help Maria Hill up; her shirt is open, revealing her bulletproof vest underneath.

Second frame: Kat Armstrong, suspended from a parachute.

Third frame: Constantine, running along a corridor to rejoin Fury, Fox and Hill.

Fourth frame: Armstrong touching down on a picturesque but remote hillside, with a sheep watching.

Fifth frame: Gordon and Potts locking Sitwell in the brig. He's obviously dazed, but Gordon still handcuffs him to the washbasin.

Sixth frame: Fox at the controls on the bridge.

Seventh frame: Exterior: The carrier finally stops listing. Several tiny dots can be seen in the distance.

Eighth frame: Fury, Fox, Constantine, Hill, Gordon and Potts together on the bridge.

Ninth frame: Reverse of the seventh frame: these are three RAF Typhoon Eurofighters closing on the carrier.

P16: Nine-frame page: First frame: Fox at the controls. Radio: "Attention, _Princess Royal_. Do not enter English airspace or you will be fired upon."

Second frame: Fury, snatching up a hand-held mike: "Attention yourselves! If you enter Scottish airspace, we'll take you down."

Third frame: Constantine, to Fox: "Just how close are we to the border?"

Fourth frame: Closeup: Fox points to a map display. The Helicarrier is almost directly over the town of Jedburgh, just a few miles north of the border.

Fifth frame: RAF Typhoon pilot, with closed visor: "Control say there's only half a dozen of them on there. They can't launch a single Harrier, can they?"

Sixth frame: RAF Typhoon, exterior. Radio voiceover: "No, but it's got lots of its own guns. Maintain a holding pattern."

Seventh frame: RAF Typhoon pilot again: "Attention, Control - we have a second radar contact. It's big."

Eighth frame: Oswald Cobblepot, backed by two Union Jacks, in Cabinet Office Briefing Room A, addressing a stressed-looking senior RAF officer in front of a series of tactical computer displays. Cobblepot: "You said there's another of these things? Can they launch that too?" Officer: "The Duke of York? No sir."

Ninth frame: Fox, to the others on the bridge: "We have incoming... it's bigger than us."

P17: Full page: Magneto, robes flowing, arms raised, standing on the prow of the Royal Navy carrier _HMS Queen Elizabeth_ , as it flies under his control.

P18: Four frame page: First frame: Oswald Cobblepot and the RAF officer, still in COBRA. Cobblepot's tie hangs awry and he gestures with his cane as he angrily demands: "What's stopping them?"

Second frame: Magneto, standing on the edge of the levitating carrier. "I can throw any of you out of the sky. Stay on your own sides of the border." (His speech bubble and words are all in extra bold.)

Third frame: Jim Gordon, on the helicarrier bridge with the destroyed screen behind him, grimaces and asks: "How's he doing that?" Lucius Fox replies: "He's making the ship's hull vibrate - the world's biggest loudspeaker."

Fourth frame: RAF Typhoon pilot, pictured in profile in the cockpit, speaking on the radio: "It's an aircraft carrier, sir, flying. ... No sir, not the _Princess Royal_ \- an actual seagoing carrier, hanging in the air."

P19: Four frame page: First frame: Cobblepot and the RAF officer, both trying to speak into the same hand-held microphone: Cobblepot: "Engage! Get them!" Officer: "Ignore that order. Turn back."

Second frame: The two Union Jacks seize the RAF Officer and drag him from the room; Cobblepot retrieves the dropped mike from the floor with the handle of his cane.

Third frame: Top-down view of the three Typhoons, flying over wooded hills. The two outer ones are peeling off, so that all three are flying in different directions.

Fourth frame: Split horizontally by a zig-zag line. Top: Maria Hill using a shipboard radio on the helicarrier. Voice on radio: "...permission to land, please."

Bottom: Thunderbird, wearing a radio headset in the comms room on the other carrier. Voice on radio: "...I'm one of you. Permission to land, please." Thunderbird calls out: "Let this one through!"

P20: Full page, split obliquely in two. Two matching scenes: one Typhoon doing a cable-assisted landing on the deck of each carrier. In the top frame, Rescue is catching the landing plane just short of the edge of the deck; in the bottom frame, Magneto gestures backwards with his left hand to slow the plane's approach.

P22: Nine-frame page: First frame: The third Typhoon flying south, with the two carriers behind it in the distance. 

Second frame: Maria Hill on the radio again: "Come in, Magneto. What are your intentions?"

Third frame: Magneto, close-up: "Self-defence."

Fourth frame: Hill: "I know you can't levitate that thing indefinitely. Where will you put it?"

Fifth frame: Fury and Fox exchange looks of curiosity.

Sixth frame: Magneto: "Where I please. And if you attempt to reclaim it, we will defend ourselves."

Seventh frame: Hill, covering the mike and speaking to Fury: "What do we do, sir?" Fury: "We watch."

Eighth frame, double width: The _Queen Elizabeth_ , turning under Magneto's control.

* * *

P23: Four page frame: First frame: A pine forest, with the shores of a lake in the background.

Second frame: A red-haired woman in a scruffy biker jacket creeps through the forest. A patch on the shoulder facing us has a wolf's head design on it. "I can smell ye, cat."

Third frame: We see over her shoulder as a tall humanoid with lionlike features drops down from the trees to land in front of her. He is wearing a belted plaid in the McKay tartan, and carries two glowing short swords. "Bratach Bhan Chlann Aoidh! - oh, it's you, Rahne."

Fourth frame: They stand facing each other. The ruins of Urquhart Castle can be seen between them on the far side of the loch. Wolfsbane: "Did my ma send you?" Kylun: "That she did not. The wizard Lensherr bade me come."

P24: Four frame page: First frame: Wolfsbane, face on. "I'll bet. Always 'nae laird, nae maister' wi'him, but he loves to give orders."

Second frame: The two of them walking together along a forest track. Kylun: "He sent you too, did he not?" Wolfsbane: "Mhm."

Third frame: They run across a deserted main road, close to the lakeshore. Wolfsbane: "So why're ye no wi'him yersel'?" Kylun: "For the same reason as you..."

Fourth frame: Wolfsbane's face in closeup, as she turns sharply and looks upward: "Aye, the Canary Cry. Spare me that. What the-?"

P25: Full page: The two mutants look tiny on the shores of Loch Ness as the _HMS Queen Elizabeth_ descends from the sky towards the deep waters in the middle of the loch.

P26: Full page: Magneto stands on the deck of the carrier - we see him from behind, addressing a crowd of assorted mutants, some in costume and others in civilian garb: "Caithness and the Ness Valley will be a safe zone for mutants - and we will not depend on the good graces of the Scottish government."

P27: Full page: Magneto, face-on, continuing: "Be under no illusion: the regime which Alexander Pierce is now establishing in London is a fascist one. And there can be no compromise with the agents of fascism."

P28: Four frame page: First frame: the front door of 10 Downing Street, dusk. An armed policeman gives a military salute to a man in evening dress.

Second frame: A well-furnished sitting room, crowded with people. Edward Nygma and Oswald Cobblepot are amongst them, avoiding each other.

Third frame: Alexander Pierce, immaculately attired in a cream three-piece suit, stands by an ornate mantlepiece with a glass of port in his hand. "Ladies and Gentlemen - the Hellfire Club is now in session."

Fourth frame: Pierce strolls across the front of the fireplace. "We're honoured today by a rare visit from the Black Queen, so I hope you're all going to show her our pride in what we've achieved this week."

P29: Four frame page: First frame: An alcove, lined with bookcases but empty of people and furniture. We see the edge of Edward Nygma, still in his green suit, at the right-hand side of the frame - he's also holding a glass of port.

Second frame: The same alcove, which suddenly contains a tall, slim woman with blonde hair, wearing a long, black cloak. She has her back to us.

Third frame: Pierce, face-on, looking enraptured: "Welcome, my dear!"

Fourth frame: The blonde woman's head, still seen from behind, but turning towards us, revealing the tip of her nose as she speaks: " _Alexander_. Why are we meeting in this _poky_ little townhouse? ..."

P30: Full page: She turns to face the room. It is Strife, the current avatar of Eris, wearing the what is essentially the 'Queen of Sin' outfit from the 'Hellfire Club' episode of _The Avengers_ UK TV show. Edward Nygma drops his glass of port. Strife: "...Doesn't the _Queen_ get a _Palace_?"

p31: Three horizontal frames: Top: The helicarrier _HMS Princess Royal_ hanging in the sky over Edinburgh Castle at dusk, seen side-on.

Middle: Nick Fury's hand reaching out for a smartphone whose screen is glowing.

Bottom: Maria Hill leans over John Constantine, who is sleeping in a naval bunk with all his clothes on, and shakes him awake.

P32: Four frame page: Fury's face, illuminated by a red shipboard light. "Mr Constantine, I got this message from one of my agents. This is your department, I think."

Second frame: Constantine, looking at a blurry image on the smartphone screen: "Yeah, it might be."

Third frame: A helicopter taking off from the deck of the Helicarrier. Constantine, voiceover: "We're all being played - you, me, that fucker Pierce..."

Fourth frame: Constantine disembarking from the helicopter in a wooded park: "...perhaps even Fury."

P33: First frame: Jim Gordon, Maria Hill and John Constantine at the side entrance of the National Museum of Scotland. Gordon shows the security guard his badge.

Second frame: A side view of Hill and Constantine, from knee to shoulder only, walking past an empty display case labelled "REWARD: The Greyfriars Dagger was stolen on 11 April. A reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest or the Dagger's recovery. Please call Police Scotland on" - and then the number is hidden by the brass edge of the case.

Third frame: A high-angle view down a dimly-lit museum gallery. Hill, Constantine and Gordon are proceeding warily along it, away from us.

Fourth frame: The same three entering the 'Scotland in the Age of the Vikings' exhibit.

P34: Four frame page: First frame: Gordon in profile as he passes a cabinet containing a number of small objects under the heading 'The Lawspeaker'. "So what are we looking for?"

Second frame: Hill in profile as she passes a cabinet containing a corroded sword and shield boss under the heading 'The Shieldmaiden'. "And why was Fury so sure you'd got the tools for this?"

Third frame: Constantine in profile as he passes a cabinet containing a necklace of glass beads and a replica sheepskin cloak, under the heading 'The Seiðr-man'. "Fury gave it me himself. There's a fella who's ready for anything."

Fourth frame: Under a spotlight, a large runestone with red runes running around the edge, and a carving in the centre depicting a long-haired woman holding a naked sword.

P35: Full page: Inset, top left: Constantine places the small runestone Fury gave him at the Four in Hand at the base of the larger one.

Main frame: The large runestone again, but the carved image has been replaced by a glowing red portal. Hill, Gordon and Constantine recoil from it.

Three vertical frames: Left: The runestone seen from the side: tendrils of red fog emerge from it.

Middle: A human hand reaches out of the portal.

Right: A tall, long-haired woman in viking age dress and carrying a sword emerges from the red light.

P36: Full page: **Lady Sif** stands in front of the closing portal and addresses the group: "Who hath hailed me here? What need is near, what doom do ye dread?" Constantine responds: "A great battle is at hand, O Sif. Will you aid us?"


End file.
